Improved rafting-pin



UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

THOS. B. RAYMOND, SAGINAW, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVED RAFTlNG-PIN.

Spccilication forming part of Letters Patent No. 59,072, dated October 23, 1866.

To all whom t may concern: Be it known that I, THOMAS B. RAYMOND, of Saginaw, in the county of Saginaw and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rafting-Pins; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference'being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specication, in which-l Figure l is a vertical cross-section of one ot' the logs through the center of one of my improved pins, and showing the rope in place. Fig. 2 is avertical longitudinal section through one of the logs at the side of one of my iinproved pins. Fig. 3 is a top View of a portion 0f a raft, my improved pin being used in four logs, and the ordinary pin in three. Fig. 4 is an end view of the portion of araft represented in Fig. 3.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts. y

In sections of the country where rafting is carried on an immense expenditure ot' time and money is annually incurred .in making rafting-pins and in cleaning the rope lafter the raft has been broken up upon reaching its destination. It is estimated that upon the Saginaw river alone about three and a half millions of pins are made and used annually at an expense of about fifteen thousand dollars,. including the expense of cleaning the rope. I The object of my invention is to diminish these expenses, and 'at the same time to fur- -nisl1 a better pin; and consists of a wedgeshaped pin so formed as to hold a straight rope, thereby removing any necessity for cleaning the rope.

A Bare the logs forming the raft. The logs A are represented as being secured together in the ordinary Way-that is, by driving into the logs round, square, or octagonal pins O, the rope D extending from pin to pin, and being knotted around each, as represented, about half the rope being employed in form ing the knots around the pins.

My improved pin E is made in the form ot a wedge, as shown in Figs. l and 2, with a notch or channel, F, extending from the edge ot' the pin or wedge far enough toward its head to allow the wedge to be driven firmly into the log and still'leave venough of said notch F above the log to allow the rope D to pass through it, as represented in the drawings. The bottom of the notch Fis made curved, so as to fit around the rope and holdI it rmly to the log.

In using these pins or wedges E the rope is extended from log. to log, the wedge placed over the rope and driven into the log, so as to hold the rope between thesurt'ace ot' the log and the bottom of the channel F, as represented in the drawings.

By this improvement only about one-half as much rope is required as is necessary when the old method is employed. The rope does not require to be cleaned, since it frees :itself at once from the pins, and there are no kinks or knots to be removed; and the pinsmay bel made bymachinery, thus materially lessening the cost of manufacturing them.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- A rafting-pin made in wedge form, and having a notch or channel extending up from its point or edge, for receiving and grasping a straight rope, substantially a-s described, and for the purpose set forth.

' THOMAS B. RAYMOND. Witnesses:

B. B. Ross,

- WM. J. LOVELAND. 

